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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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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: prune · craft · pitcher · current · kick · pop · cabinet · wake

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. current — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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