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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: saw · mine · degree · ball · stem · coach · bank · craft

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — boats
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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