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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — happening now
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — a group
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. craft — a skill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. club — for dancing
  13. current — electric
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — a leader
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — of a word
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. club — for golf

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