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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kid — to tease
  8. net — for catching
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — in sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — government
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — a law
  17. craft — a skill
  18. net — after costs
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stock — shares
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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