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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a committee
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — electric
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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