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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.

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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: coach · mouse · present · degree · craft · kick · fork · wax

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — in football
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. present — there
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — boats
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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