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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — happening now
  4. cue — a hint
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — temperature
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — music
  24. current — electric

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