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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — a line
  20. chest — of your body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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