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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — boats
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bound — tied together
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — a position
  11. band — a music group
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — certain
  15. rash — a series
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — hasty
  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