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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ground — a position
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — a division
  24. present — the time now

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