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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. current — electric
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. current — happening now
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — there
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to sink
  16. present — the time now
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — to rob

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