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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: straw · bulb · kid · ruler · degree · chair · mark · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a grade
  19. craft — boats
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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