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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: craft · bound · foot · charge · board · shower · track · degree

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. degree — from a university
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — certain
  13. board — a committee
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. degree — an amount
  16. craft — boats
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — a measure
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. track — a path
  21. charge — in control
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. degree — temperature

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