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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a trace
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stock — shares
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. degree — from a university
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — a skill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. staff — a stick

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