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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. firm — decided
  5. current — of water
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — happening now
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — a partner
  11. firm — steady
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — to push
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. scale — in music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fork — in a road
  21. press — a publisher
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mate — a friend
  24. firm — a company

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