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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — electric
  8. file — a document
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a match
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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