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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — of water
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — to get on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. prune — to trim

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