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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. current — electric
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — of water
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. clip — a video
  14. scale — size or range
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — for paper
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — happening now

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