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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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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: last · club · degree · content · suit · mate · calf · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mate — a partner
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. last — final
  9. degree — an amount
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — a line
  13. club — for dancing
  14. content — the amount
  15. suit — to fit
  16. last — to go on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. suit — in cards
  20. club — a group
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — finally
  24. content — happy

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