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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: calf · field · tear · pitcher · ruler · degree · lean · bay

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — a subject
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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