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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: ground · calf · degree · track · snap · staff · suit · row

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — a position
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. track — a song
  8. snap — to click
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ground — crushed
  21. track — a path
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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