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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — of water
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. net — after costs
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — music
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. mug — a cup

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