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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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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: board · craft · degree · lean · pound · calf · bat · net

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — in sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — thin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bat — the animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. net — after costs
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. net — for catching

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