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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mark — a grade
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. current — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — there
  12. board — a committee
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. current — happening now
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a trace
  18. current — electric

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