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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. current — of water
  4. fine — high quality
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — electric
  16. craft — a skill
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — happening now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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