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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kick — in football
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — electric
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — boats
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. plane — a tool

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