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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — crushed
  9. current — happening now
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. current — of water
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stand — for spectators

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