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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: stem · calf · bank · cue · pit · fine · degree · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fine — all right
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cue — a hint
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bank — for money

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