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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — of water
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — boats
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — electric
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wound — an injury

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