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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
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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: bat · kick · date · degree · arm · spell · craft · key

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spell — a short time
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — temperature
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. degree — an amount
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — in football
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — magic
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — a skill
  24. key — for a lock

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