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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — government
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — to get on
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — a committee
  24. field — for 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