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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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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: current · rock · bear · mate · tear · dip · craft · court

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — electric
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. court — of law
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tear — from crying
  13. court — of a king
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bear — the animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. tear — to rip
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. court — for sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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