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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 116 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: bass · pitcher · calf · row · degree · present · wave · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. present — a gift
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bass — the fish
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. vault — a safe
  12. present — there
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — a line
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — the time now
  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