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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wax — to grow
  3. current — happening now
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — to handle
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. court — of a king
  13. current — of water
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — army training
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. court — for sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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