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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
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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: can · shower · pound · degree · squash · key · craft · stem

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. shower — to wash
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. degree — temperature
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. craft — boats
  15. pound — a weight
  16. key — the most important part
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. squash — the sport
  23. shower — rain
  24. craft — a skill

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