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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: craft · degree · pitcher · nail · chest · key · can · spell

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — an amount
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — a box
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — boats
  15. key — for a lock
  16. degree — from a university
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — a skill

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