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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: racket · leaves · bound · degree · mouse · dip · calf · court

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. dip — to sink
  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