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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — in music
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a skill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. date — the fruit
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — happening now
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. drill — army training
  24. pop — music

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