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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: net · wave · kick · perch · cap · calf · degree · stick

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — a lid
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — in football
  15. degree — an amount
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. net — after costs
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cap — a hat
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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