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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — a match
  3. board — a committee
  4. last — to go on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. last — finally
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rash — a series
  10. march — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. game — wild animals
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. last — final
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — happening now
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. march — the month
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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