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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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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: bowl · degree · fork · safe · craft · wind · march · rock

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. march — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. march — the month
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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