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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. march — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — soda
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — happening now
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mug — a face
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pop — music
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cold — the Cold War

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