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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — happening now
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pit — in a race
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — a hole
  16. foot — a measure
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — electric
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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