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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — to get on
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — music
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. board — a committee
  14. season — in sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. current — of water
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — of the year
  23. march — the month
  24. net — for catching

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