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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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. fork — in a road
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — of water
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — for golf
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — a contest
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — to eat with

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