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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: foot · bore · degree · bat · deal · craft · club · trunk

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — a skill
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. foot — a measure
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. degree — an amount
  14. craft — boats
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. degree — from a university
  20. deal — to handle
  21. club — for golf
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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