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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — a phone
  3. degree — an amount
  4. craft — boats
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — letters
  18. current — of water
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — a partner
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — a handicraft

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