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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — to get on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — of water

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