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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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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: calf · degree · toast · season · branch · firm · bass · snap

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. snap — to click
  3. degree — temperature
  4. season — of the year
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. firm — decided
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — low music
  24. degree — from a university

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