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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. current — electric
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. current — happening now
  16. present — the time now
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fine — all right
  23. present — a gift
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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