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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 120 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 · mine · net · object · kid · calf · kick · board

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kid — to tease
  7. object — a thing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mine — for digging
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. object — to protest
  16. kick — in football
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. degree — an amount
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — child

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