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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: degree · kick · sharp · season · bear · racket · wind · calf

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. wind — moving air
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — of the year
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — to put up with

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