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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 116 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: calf · court · firm · dip · tube · last · degree · hide

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. last — finally
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. last — final
  8. firm — a company
  9. last — to go on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. degree — temperature
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. court — of law
  24. firm — steady

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