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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — a practice
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — boats
  18. drill — army training
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — clever
  24. degree — temperature

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