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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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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: coach · snap · present · calf · pound · degree · dip · cap

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. present — the time now
  6. snap — to click
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — there
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cap — of ice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. degree — an amount

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