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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — crushed
  3. current — of water
  4. ground — the earth
  5. craft — boats
  6. spring — the season
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ground — a position
  16. current — electric
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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