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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: craft · hide · swing · bat · court · bear · rash · degree

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — of law
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bat — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. craft — boats

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