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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — to recline
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. court — of law
  24. pit — a hole

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