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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: chip · wake · degree · ball · saw · stem · cabinet · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wake — a trail

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