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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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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: swing · vault · calf · bay · prune · row · degree · present

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. present — there
  11. swing — to play on
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — a line
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — from a university
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. degree — an amount
  24. present — a gift

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