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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — in music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. root — of a word
  19. cell — a phone
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — size or range
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cell — in a prison

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