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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: nail · calf · rush · cap · net · bear · degree · pitcher

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rush — hurry
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — a thrill

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