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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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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: craft · stand · swing · chip · degree · jam · club · board

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. degree — from a university
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. board — to get on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — boats
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — a committee
  16. swing — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — for golf
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — to eat
  24. jam — in traffic

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