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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. swing — in golf
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — from a university
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of a king
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. root — the cause
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — for sport
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. court — of law

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