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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.

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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: deal · cue · season · swing · degree · nail · craft · stick

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — boats
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. craft — a skill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — of the year
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. degree — temperature

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