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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: mouse · craft · deal · degree · file · roll · board · hand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hand — help
  9. file — a line of people
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. roll — a list
  14. degree — from a university
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. file — a document
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. roll — a cake
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mouse — the animal

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