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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a great time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. current — electric
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — a price
  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