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

Word bank: rest · staff · bank · degree · bowl · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. craft — boats
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — temperature
  18. staff — employees

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