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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. craft — boats
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. land — to come down
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. toast — bread
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. land — ground
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fork — in a road

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