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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. band — a ring
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — of ice
  11. degree — temperature
  12. drill — the tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bound — obliged
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bound — certain
  21. cap — a hat
  22. drill — army training
  23. craft — boats
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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