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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — happening now
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — hasty
  8. current — electric
  9. season — of the year
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stand — to bear
  12. current — of water
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — in sport
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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