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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: stick · hide · calf · cap · mate · deal · pitcher · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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