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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 · wave · rock · rush · season · mark · degree · capital

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — of the year
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — a city
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — money
  24. rock — music

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