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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. board — to get on
  7. toast — bread
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — in sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. current — of water
  18. toast — the most admired

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