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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: pitcher · leaves · craft · tube · toast · trunk · key · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tube — the underground
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. craft — a skill
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — to go away

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