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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. tube — a container
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. current — of water
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — in sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. race — a contest

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