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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · calf · scale · saw · firm · cabinet · sharp · foot

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — a measure
  8. degree — from a university
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com