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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. bank — of a river
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — farmland
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — an amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — a tool
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — to drill
  24. craft — boats

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