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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: club · degree · season · bore · stand · wake · craft · bulb

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. craft — boats
  6. degree — an amount
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bore — to drill
  13. season — in sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — to tire
  16. club — a group
  17. season — of the year
  18. degree — from a university
  19. craft — a skill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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