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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · content · ground · mug · calf · lean · mouse · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — crushed
  9. content — the amount
  10. lean — to bend
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. degree — temperature
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — a face
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — a cup
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. content — happy
  24. lean — to rest against

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