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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — government
  17. current — electric
  18. rule — a law

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