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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rest — a break
  3. field — for sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tube — the underground
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — of water
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — a hat
  18. field — a subject
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — happening now
  21. fine — high quality
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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