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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.

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: fall · bulb · file · rock · court · nail · degree · calf

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. court — of law
  3. fall — the season
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — a stone
  11. file — a document
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — of a king
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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