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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: fine · craft · saw · tube · land · degree · pit · foot

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. craft — boats
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fine — high quality
  15. degree — an amount
  16. tube — a container
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. foot — a measure

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