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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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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: clip · court · present · current · craft · chip · lean · spell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. court — for sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. court — of law
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — happening now
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — electric
  17. craft — boats
  18. lean — to bend
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. present — there
  22. court — of a king
  23. present — the time now
  24. chip — to eat

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