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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.

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: season · craft · row · degree · plane · suit · board · stock

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. degree — from a university
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — boats
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. degree — temperature
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — of the year
  24. craft — a skill

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