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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — boats
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. press — a publisher
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — electric
  24. press — newspapers

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