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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. club — for dancing
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — the underground
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. club — for golf
  11. craft — boats
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — a group
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stem — of a plant

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