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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: stick · object · band · craft · degree · wave

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. object — a thing
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. degree — temperature
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a ring
  13. object — an aim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band

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