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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: calf · rock · march · content · stem · degree · bear · can

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. degree — temperature
  3. march — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — happy
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stem — to come from
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. degree — from a university

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