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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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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: sharp · ground · degree · calf · pound · fork · current · pit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. degree — temperature
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — happening now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — in a race
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pound — for dogs

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