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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: cap · roll · field · object · degree · plane · calf · pitcher

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. roll — a list
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. degree — from a university
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. plane — a tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. calf — of the leg

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