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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — help
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — electric
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — happening now
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — of the year
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — part of the body

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