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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · degree · bat · can · stick · fall · craft · stand

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — to be able to
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — to bear
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. current — of water

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