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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: shower · bay · craft · swing · safe · degree · track · prune

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. swing — to play on
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. swing — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — boats
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. track — a path
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — in golf
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. safe — out of danger

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