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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — in sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — for catching
  11. rest — a break
  12. clip — a video
  13. key — the most important part
  14. current — happening now
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to tire
  17. perch — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — for paper
  21. craft — boats
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  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