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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. 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. row — a line
  2. current — electric
  3. firm — decided
  4. current — happening now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — a committee
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — to paddle
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. 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