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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. last — finally
  4. pit — a hole
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — boats
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stand — on your feet

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