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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — the time now
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. degree — an amount
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — temperature
  13. charge — in control
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — there
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. can — to be able to
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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