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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. craft — boats
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — happening now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — letters
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — low music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. roll — a list

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