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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: craft · bark · degree · bound · key · snap · club · mug

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a cup
  5. club — for golf
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. club — a group
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — for dancing
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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