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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: present · content · craft · band · degree · calf · mark · bound

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. present — the time now
  7. content — happy
  8. band — a music group
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. present — a gift
  19. content — the amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. present — there
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. mark — to pay attention

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