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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: mark · degree · net · nail · chair · craft · bulb · press

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mark — a trace
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — in sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — to push
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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