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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. board — to get on
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — a law
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — army training
  15. board — a committee
  16. rule — government
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. date — the fruit
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. current — electric

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