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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stock — goods
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — the earth
  10. shower — rain
  11. current — electric
  12. mate — to breed
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. drill — army training
  16. mate — a partner
  17. drill — a practice
  18. snap — to click
  19. current — of water
  20. craft — boats
  21. current — happening now
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — a position

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