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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — size or range
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — boats
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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