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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: calf · stem · degree · bay · court · bowl · ruler · safe

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. degree — an amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. court — of a king
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  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