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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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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: board · degree · perch · calf · stick · patient · root · court

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. root — of a word
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — for sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. root — the cause
  24. court — of law

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