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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. craft — a skill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. key — in music
  8. row — a line
  9. key — for a lock
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — to protest
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — for betting
  16. object — an aim
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — electric
  20. march — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. march — the month
  24. current — of water

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