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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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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 · pass · net · nail · bank · degree · spell · ball

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — letters
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. degree — from a university
  24. craft — boats

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