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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. game — a match
  7. degree — an amount
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — a skill
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ground — a position
  15. mate — a partner
  16. degree — from a university
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mate — a friend
  20. staff — a stick
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. degree — temperature
  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