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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: degree · craft · deal · tube · land · trunk · cabinet · board

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. craft — a skill
  3. land — a country
  4. degree — an amount
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. land — ground
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tube — a container
  23. deal — a big deal
  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