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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pound — a weight
  7. current — happening now
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — electric
  20. branch — a division
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — of water
  24. pound — for dogs

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