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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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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: rock · jam · bore · calf · foot · spring · stand · degree

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. degree — an amount
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rock — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spring — the season
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — part of the body

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