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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — an amount
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — electric
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — the cause
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. root — of a word
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — happening now

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