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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: shower · land · bay · craft · degree · squash · safe · march

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. degree — from a university
  3. march — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. land — ground
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — a country
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. shower — rain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. degree — an amount
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — a skill

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