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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 · band · racket · rock · root · vault · firm · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — decided
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — a company
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — the cause
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rock — a stone
  13. vault — a safe
  14. band — a music group
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — an amount
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rock — music
  20. band — a ring
  21. degree — temperature
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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