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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · squash · club · bore · mate · craft · bear · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — a skill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mate — a partner
  7. club — a group
  8. current — electric
  9. mate — a friend
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. club — for golf
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bear — the animal

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