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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rock · degree · tube · stick · fine · mine · craft · suit

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — all right
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rock — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — for digging
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — a stone
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — a penalty

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