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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · deal · kick · craft · stem · plane

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. craft — a skill
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stem — to come from
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. craft — boats
  17. kick — in football
  18. degree — temperature

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