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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — electric
  10. net — in sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — all right
  16. current — happening now
  17. craft — boats
  18. pop — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — there
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — after costs
  24. pop — soda

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