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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — a committee
  9. key — the most important part
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — in music
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. current — of water
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — happening now
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — a part of something

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