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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — boats
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — for pool
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a lid
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rock — music

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