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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — the earth
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — a container
  11. fork — in a road
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — a committee
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — crushed
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tube — in a tire

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