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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 124 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — of water
  4. chair — a leader
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. mark — a trace
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. field — a subject
  24. craft — a skill

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