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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. craft — a skill
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pop — to visit
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — goods
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — soda
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. craft — a handicraft

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