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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: object · content · craft · chair · plane · current · ground · band

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chair — a leader
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ground — a position
  7. current — of water
  8. ground — the earth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — happy
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. craft — boats
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a music group
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — to protest

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