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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: craft · degree · arm · kick · pass · bulb · squash · track

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. degree — from a university
  8. craft — boats
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — a song
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. craft — a skill
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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