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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — electric
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — to get on
  12. march — music
  13. current — of water
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — happening now
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — in football

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