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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: bass · calf · pitcher · arm · rush · wake · degree · bore

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — low music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. degree — an amount

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