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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: object · rush · ball · cabinet · craft · degree · wake · bank

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ball — a dance
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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