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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. craft — a skill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. net — after costs
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — for catching
  10. fine — high quality
  11. degree — an amount
  12. net — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — boats
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fork — to eat with

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