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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. current — electric
  3. mug — to rob
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tube — a container
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — of water
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. net — after costs
  16. board — a committee
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. net — in sport

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