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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. current — happening now
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. court — for sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. court — of law
  14. current — electric
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. court — of a king
  17. suit — to fit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. suit — in cards
  20. craft — boats
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mine — for digging
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — belonging to me

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