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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — electric
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — a friend
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bass — low music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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