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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: calf · pass · swing · mouse · prune · row · content · degree

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. row — a line
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pass — a permit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — from a university
  24. content — happy

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