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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — a container
  7. row — a line
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. craft — boats
  23. row — to paddle
  24. trunk — of a car

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