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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — wild animals
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. craft — a handicraft

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