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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. current — electric
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cap — of ice
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a hat

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