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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 120 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: band · degree · pass · cold · suit · perch · craft · chip

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chip — for betting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — a skill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cold — not warm
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. band — a ring
  17. degree — an amount
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chip — to eat

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