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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: jam · sharp · rock · degree · calf · foot · land · mark

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rock — a stone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — a country
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — ground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mark — a grade

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