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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. band — a ring
  4. bat — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. craft — boats
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. current — electric
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. current — happening now
  19. band — a music group
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. squash — the vegetable

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