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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · pit · pitcher · foot · degree · calf · patient · current

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — temperature
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — music
  22. current — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — the bottom

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