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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — to wash
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — electric
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — to get on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — to sit on

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