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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — a measure
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for golf
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. date — the fruit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. club — for dancing
  24. foot — part of the body

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