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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: ruler · jam · march · foot · craft · fall · current · net

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — for catching
  4. current — electric
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fall — the season
  13. net — in sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — happening now
  20. march — the month
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. craft — a skill
  23. march — music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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