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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. current — of water
  6. clip — for paper
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a grade
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — a price
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. current — happening now
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — in control
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — a tin

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