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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: stick · ball · calf · roll · stand · fork · date · degree

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. roll — a cake
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. degree — temperature
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a great time
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. date — the fruit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stand — to bear

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