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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · ball · suit · calf · tube · spell · pop · hand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spell — a short time
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — magic
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pop — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — the underground
  21. degree — from a university
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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