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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 120 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: degree · deal · fine · straw · craft · file · net · bulb

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. degree — from a university
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fine — all right
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a line of people
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — boats

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