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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: degree · bowl · bay · calf · fan · plane · file · racket

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. file — a document
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a line of people
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. degree — from a university

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