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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: craft · hide · degree · toast · bass · ruler

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. degree — an amount
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — low music
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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