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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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468
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: calf · land · degree · staff · tube · fork · saw · pound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — a stick
  14. degree — temperature
  15. saw — the tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. degree — an amount
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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