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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — electric
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — clever

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