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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. scale — in music
  9. craft — boats
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. scale — size or range
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — to be able to
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — of water

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