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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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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: bass · calf · foot · rock · pound · degree · cabinet · kick

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kick — in football
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. degree — an amount

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