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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rush — hurry
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. last — finally
  5. board — a committee
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — final
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — for digging
  16. current — happening now
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — a thrill

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