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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. file — a tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. face — to confront
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a document
  13. board — to get on
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — a committee
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. current — of water
  21. file — a line of people
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ground — a position
  24. fork — to eat with

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