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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 120 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 · stand · prune · degree · mate · suit · kid · track

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. track — a path
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mate — a friend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. track — a song
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kid — child
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — in cards
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stand — to bear
  24. prune — to trim

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