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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stock — goods
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ground — the earth
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ground — crushed
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. craft — boats
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — of ice
  24. leaves — lets stay

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