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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: degree · deal · season · rush · present · swing · craft · racket

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — in sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. swing — music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — to play on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — to handle
  23. craft — a skill
  24. present — there

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