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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — of water
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. current — electric
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a document

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