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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a music group
  11. current — of water
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — completely
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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