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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.

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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — to go on
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bass — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — boats
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — from a university
  14. last — finally
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. craft — a skill

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