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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — happening now
  4. kid — to tease
  5. charge — electricity
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pound — a weight
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — of water
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — child
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — electric
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — boats

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