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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. current — happening now
  5. club — for dancing
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. club — a group
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. club — for golf
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — boats
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — of water
  24. craft — a handicraft

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