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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. craft — a skill
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chip — for betting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — of water
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — to crush
  24. craft — boats

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