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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: degree · rest · cabinet · track · row · bore · bay · craft

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rest — a break
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bore — to tire
  18. row — to paddle
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a path
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. degree — from a university

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