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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: fan · current · cabinet · stock · ruler · pit · foot · craft

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — electric
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — of water
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — a hole
  12. current — happening now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — goods
  23. craft — a skill
  24. foot — part of the body

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