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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: deal · object · fork · land · degree · calf · straw · bulb

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — an aim
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — in a road
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — a thing
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. degree — an amount
  13. land — a country
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. degree — from a university
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — to handle
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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