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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 116 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: calf · wound · board · degree · tube · bowl · can · key

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. degree — temperature
  3. board — to get on
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — in music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. key — the most important part
  23. degree — an amount
  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