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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — of water
  3. last — to go on
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. last — finally
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — boats
  19. club — for dancing
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. date — on the calendar

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