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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — boats
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — temperature
  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