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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. degree — temperature
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. craft — boats
  23. degree — from a university
  24. toast — bread

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