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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: mark · object · rest · degree · calf · mate · key · bulb

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — a partner
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — a trace
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rest — a break

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