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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — electric
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — to crush
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — to tire
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bore — gave birth

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