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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — a position
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. current — electric
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ground — crushed
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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