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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — of water
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — a subject
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — to sink
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — for sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — to protest
  24. current — electric

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