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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 116 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 · leaves · pass · rush · degree · bound · row · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. degree — temperature
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. bound — certain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. club — a group
  15. bound — tied together
  16. craft — boats
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. club — for dancing
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pass — a permit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — to go away

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