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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. clip — for paper
  5. capital — a city
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — soda
  8. clip — a video
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — of water
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. capital — money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pop — music
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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