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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
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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: present · straw · cabinet · craft · nail · pop · degree · date

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. present — there
  7. pop — music
  8. present — a gift
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — the fruit
  12. degree — from a university
  13. present — the time now
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — boats
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pop — soda
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. straw — dry grass

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