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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: pass · degree · club · pit · craft · band

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. band — a music group
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — a group
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. club — for dancing

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