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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. craft — boats
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bound — certain
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — for baseball

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