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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 · sharp · suit · rule · swing · bay · degree · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. suit — clothes
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — an amount
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. row — to paddle
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — government
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — a line

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