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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — for catching
  12. current — electric
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — a stone
  21. current — happening now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — for pool

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