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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: object · deal · craft · date · drill · degree · dip · tear

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. object — an aim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — to protest
  6. degree — temperature
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. object — a thing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. drill — the tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. dip — to sink
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — army training
  24. tear — from crying

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