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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — to go on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — happening now
  7. last — final
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. last — finally
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — electric
  23. board — to get on
  24. drill — army training

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