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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — to come from
  3. board — to get on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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