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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 116 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: craft · bear · land · shower · degree · stand · squash · can

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. shower — rain
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. craft — boats
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. land — a country
  15. shower — to wash
  16. land — to come down
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. land — ground
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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