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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 dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — an amount
  4. hand — help
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — music
  23. degree — temperature
  24. jam — in traffic

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