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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: fork · game · rush · pound · charge · track · craft · degree

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. game — a match
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — boats
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — a price
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. degree — temperature
  23. charge — in control
  24. rush — to hurry

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