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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: sharp · object · toast · craft · club · safe · bark · degree

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. sharp — clever
  4. club — a group
  5. object — an aim
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. object — a thing
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — temperature
  20. object — to protest
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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