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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — a container
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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