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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. content — videos and posts
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — help
  8. pass — a permit
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — of water
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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