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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — electric
  5. craft — a skill
  6. current — of water
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mug — a face
  11. field — a subject
  12. mug — to rob
  13. track — to keep track
  14. field — for sport
  15. track — a path
  16. current — happening now
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. craft — boats
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — belonging to me

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