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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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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: leaves · squash · spell · bore · mark · craft · key · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. squash — the sport
  11. key — in music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bore — to drill

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