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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — decided
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. present — a gift
  7. current — of water
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — there
  14. current — electric
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. firm — steady
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — happening now
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. firm — a company
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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