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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: rule · degree · foot · calf · jam · chip · press · field

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — to push
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rule — a law
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. press — a publisher
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chip — to eat

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