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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rule — government
  4. scale — in music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. foot — a measure
  8. current — electric
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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