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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.

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: prune · calf · chip · nail · stick · degree · game · bass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — low music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. game — a match
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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