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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · wound · calf · date · track · degree · rest · drill

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. track — a path
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — the fruit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a song
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rest — a break
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — a practice
  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