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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: season · degree · net · mouse · toast · bear · pitcher · calf

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — an amount
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — of the year
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. degree — temperature

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