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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: degree · rock · wound · calf · pitcher · fan · safe · rule

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — a law
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rule — government

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