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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — help
  12. degree — an amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. club — a group
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. craft — boats
  23. fine — all right
  24. degree — from a university

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