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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. degree — an amount
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — the time now
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — the fish
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — exactly
  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