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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
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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: degree · ball · toast · last · land · firm · game · craft

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. game — wild animals
  5. degree — temperature
  6. game — a match
  7. degree — from a university
  8. craft — boats
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. firm — a company
  21. land — a country
  22. toast — bread
  23. last — final
  24. game — a kind of play

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