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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. current — electric
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cue — for pool
  9. current — happening now
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cue — a signal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cue — a hint

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