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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 116 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: ground · craft · game · suit · bat · degree · bore · mug

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bat — the animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — wild animals
  5. degree — an amount
  6. game — a match
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mug — a face
  10. bore — to tire
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to drill
  16. craft — boats
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mug — to rob
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. degree — from a university

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