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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: bay · season · degree · craft · land · pitcher · club · cabinet

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. season — of the year
  3. land — to come down
  4. craft — boats
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. club — a group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. degree — temperature

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