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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: object · fork · stick · calf · mate · cabinet · bound · degree

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — a friend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. degree — an amount
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — tied together
  24. calf — a young animal

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