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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · staff · mug · kick · degree · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kick — in football
  3. mug — a cup
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. degree — an amount
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — a face
  13. degree — from a university
  14. craft — boats
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — a skill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mug — to rob

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