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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: degree · plane · craft · rush · bound · drill · pitch · cabinet

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. drill — army training
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — a tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — hurry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — a thrill

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