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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 120 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 · stick · ball · calf · pound · root · tube · patient

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — the underground
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — of a word

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