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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — a face
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mug — to rob
  12. board — a committee
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — rain
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — shares
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — of water

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