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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · ball · degree · stock · chair · date · calf · perch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. degree — temperature
  4. date — the fruit
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — an amount
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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