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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
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: court · tube · object · degree · swing · prune · calf · coach

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. degree — temperature
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — an aim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. swing — in golf
  12. court — for sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — of a king
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — a thing
  18. degree — from a university
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of law
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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