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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. cold — not warm
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mouse — for a computer

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