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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 120 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: rash · stem · club · fan · craft · bulb · degree · rock

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. club — for golf
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — an amount
  23. craft — boats
  24. rock — a stone

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