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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. land — a country
  4. current — electric
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. season — in sport
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. land — to come down
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. board — to get on
  15. fine — all right
  16. scale — in music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — high quality
  24. arm — part of the body

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