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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — to bend
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. firm — decided
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. firm — a company
  12. root — of a word
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. root — the cause
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lean — thin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rash — hasty
  24. craft — a skill

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