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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · bear · degree · court · calf · arm · nail · roll

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. court — for sport
  4. swing — music
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — the animal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. degree — temperature
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — from a university
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — in golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. swing — to play on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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