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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — a measure
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — shares
  9. current — happening now
  10. chest — a box
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — electric
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. band — a ring
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a face

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