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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — rain
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — of water
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — happening now
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. field — a subject
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — electric

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