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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a document
  3. court — for sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. current — of water
  6. race — humankind
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. current — electric
  10. board — to get on
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — of a king
  20. race — a contest
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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