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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: calf · rash · bowl · row · tube · degree · net · kid

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rash — hasty
  4. net — after costs
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. degree — from a university
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rash — a series
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. row — a line
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kid — child
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kid — to tease

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