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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. land — to come down
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. land — ground
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ground — a position
  13. rule — a law
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — electric
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. land — a country
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rule — government
  23. board — to get on
  24. current — of water

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