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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hand — in cards
  3. current — electric
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. current — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. hand — help
  11. current — happening now
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — an aim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a great time
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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