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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.

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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — boats
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — a stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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