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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — rain
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rule — government
  7. swing — in golf
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rule — a law
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. season — of the year
  16. bat — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — to play on
  19. board — to get on
  20. current — happening now
  21. season — in sport
  22. swing — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cap — a lid

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