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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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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: calf · degree · drill · mug · rule · spell · dip · court

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mug — a cup
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. drill — the tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — to rob
  18. drill — army training
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. court — of a king
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — government
  24. mug — a face

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