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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. current — electric
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — to get on
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — in sport
  18. craft — boats
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — after costs
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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