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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — in control
  4. game — wild animals
  5. press — newspapers
  6. board — to get on
  7. current — happening now
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. current — of water
  10. press — to push
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. charge — a price
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — to confront
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. game — a match
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wind — moving air

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