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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: calf · fan · shower · degree · pitcher · suit · row · bear

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — in cards
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. row — to paddle
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — a line
  20. degree — an amount
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — from a university

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