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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fall — the season
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chip — to eat
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — a practice
  24. present — a gift

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