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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a skill
  7. file — a tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. club — for golf
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spring — of water
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. club — a group
  15. degree — an amount
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — certain
  19. spring — the season
  20. club — for dancing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. degree — from a university
  23. perch — the fish
  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