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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pass · degree · mine · calf · patient · game · current · dip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — a match
  4. degree — temperature
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. degree — from a university
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. degree — an amount
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — electric

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