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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — boats
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cell — a phone
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — of water
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wake — before a funeral

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