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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — final
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — a committee
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. current — electric
  9. last — finally
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. last — to go on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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