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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 120 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: file · board · degree · calf · sharp · drill · staff · kick

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — an amount
  15. sharp — clever
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — employees

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