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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. cue — a hint
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — a thing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. object — to protest
  11. row — a line
  12. board — to get on
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. capital — a city
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — for pool
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. row — to paddle

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