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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — happening now
  4. field — for sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a ring
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. field — a subject
  18. stock — shares
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — a skill
  24. band — a rubber band

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