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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. craft — a skill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — soda
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pop — to visit
  14. current — of water
  15. rule — a law
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — employees
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. current — electric

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