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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. pit — a hole
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pit — in a race
  8. file — a tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a document
  16. current — electric
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pop — soda
  23. bore — to tire
  24. file — a line of people

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