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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. craft — boats
  4. cap — a hat
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. net — after costs
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — electric
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — for catching
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — happening now

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