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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: craft · rock · root · bass · snap · degree · spell · ball

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — boats
  3. degree — from a university
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spell — a short time
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — music
  8. root — of a word
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spell — magic
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rock — a stone

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