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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. rest — a break
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. tube — a container
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — to get on
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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