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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
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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: bowl · degree · fork · safe · craft · wind

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — from a university
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — in a road
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wind — moving air
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. craft — boats
  18. fork — to eat with

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