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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. scale — in music
  15. rock — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. suit — in cards
  20. current — of water
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. current — happening 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