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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: game · craft · wave · coach · degree · calf · mark · bay

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. degree — from a university
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a trace
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. degree — an amount

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