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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: degree · craft · foot · drill · bay · ground · nail · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ground — the earth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — boats
  11. hand — help
  12. degree — from a university
  13. foot — a measure
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — army training
  16. degree — an amount
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — crushed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ground — a position
  24. foot — the bottom

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