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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. current — happening now
  3. clip — a video
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a skill
  7. field — a subject
  8. spell — magic
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — electric
  11. spell — a short time
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — all right
  14. craft — boats
  15. field — farmland
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — letters
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — of water
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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