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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — electric
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. track — to keep track
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. track — a path
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. craft — boats
  13. season — in sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — a song
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. season — of the year
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — to add flavour

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