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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: calf · game · craft · toast · club · degree · jam · net

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. club — for dancing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — a match
  9. net — after costs
  10. club — for golf
  11. game — wild animals
  12. toast — bread
  13. net — in sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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