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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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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. craft — a skill
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. degree — temperature
  10. club — for golf
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. club — for dancing
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — a group
  24. calf — a young animal

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