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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — happening now
  16. chest — a box
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. wake — a trail
  22. object — to protest
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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