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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — a path
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — there
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. current — happening now

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