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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: toast · club · cabinet · craft · degree · hand · can · bay

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for golf
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. club — a group
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — for dancing
  16. can — to be able to
  17. craft — boats
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — bread
  21. craft — a skill
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — help

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