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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. shower — to wash
  4. degree — temperature
  5. shower — rain
  6. bass — low music
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. craft — a skill
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a dance

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