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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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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: stand · row · degree · jam · bass · calf · fork · object

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. row — a line
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bass — the fish
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. degree — from a university
  20. object — an aim
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. degree — temperature

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