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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. current — of water
  4. swing — to play on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — in sport
  11. season — in sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. swing — music
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hide — animal skin

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