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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. net — for catching
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — of water
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. net — in sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. current — happening now
  11. board — to get on
  12. court — of law
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — electric
  24. fall — to drop

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