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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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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: calf · bulb · degree · arm · snap · fine · perch · pit

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a hole
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. degree — temperature
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. perch — for a bird
  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