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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: cabinet · degree · wind · pit · can · stem · foot · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pit — in a race
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — to come from
  20. degree — temperature
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  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