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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 120 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
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: degree · bass · key · season · rock · present · calf · mine

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — of the year
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. degree — an amount
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — low music
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. degree — from a university
  24. key — for a lock

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