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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
468
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 · jam · suit · craft · saw · swing · mine

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — a skill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — a break
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. swing — in golf

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