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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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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: club · calf · season · degree · temple · fall · pop · pitcher

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. degree — an amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. club — for golf
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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