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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. row — to paddle
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a line
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hand — help
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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