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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: pitch · calf · bowl · degree · wound · rule · dip · stem

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wound — an injury
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rule — government

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