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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: bat · craft · sharp · jam · dip · stick · fine · degree

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — all right
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fine — high quality
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — to sink

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