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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. object — a thing
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. object — to protest
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — boats
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — a skill
  15. current — of water
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — electric
  18. swing — to play on
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — moving air

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