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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 120 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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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: perch · pound · swing · plane · stick · degree · calf · chest

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. swing — in golf
  5. degree — an amount
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — to play on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — of your body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — music

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