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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: squash · calf · chip · prune · staff · club · racket · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for golf
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. squash — to crush
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — to eat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — temperature
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. staff — a stick
  24. chip — for betting

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