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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: degree · pit · stand · calf · last · pound · wake · jam

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — finally
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — to go on
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. last — final
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — to bear
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pound — to hit hard

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