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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — of water
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. clip — for paper
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. current — happening now
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — completely
  24. suit — to fit

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