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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: bowl · bore · rush · degree · fork · craft · mouse · firm

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — to drill
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. degree — temperature
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — steady
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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