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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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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 · bay · bulb · roll · racket · degree · cap · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — for light
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cap — of ice
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. calf — of the leg

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