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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: cabinet · suit · root · firm · track · pass · craft · degree

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. craft — boats
  7. degree — an amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. firm — decided
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — of a word
  13. suit — clothes
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. track — a path
  18. suit — in cards
  19. firm — steady
  20. degree — from a university
  21. suit — to fit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cabinet — ministers

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