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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: racket · lean · mouse · staff · prune · calf · mine · degree

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lean — thin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. degree — temperature
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. staff — a stick
  24. calf — a young animal

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