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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — music
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. degree — an amount
  8. craft — boats
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — to be able to
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. file — a document
  24. track — a path

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