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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: trunk · bore · bowl · calf · bass · object · racket · degree

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — an aim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — a thing
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. calf — of the leg
  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