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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: mate · sharp · degree · mine · pit · rush · board · craft

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — clever
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mine — for digging
  18. craft — boats
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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