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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: vault · net · ruler · deal · hand · craft · bear · degree

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. degree — an amount
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — for catching
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — an agreement

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