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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. craft — boats
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — from a university
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. vault — a safe
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. degree — temperature
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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