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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — a series
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — for paper
  9. current — of water
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. clip — to cut
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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