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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. craft — a skill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. board — to get on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — boats
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — music
  24. degree — temperature

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