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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — in music
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. craft — boats
  12. root — of a word
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — of a plant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. current — electric
  24. present — the time now

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