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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. clip — for paper
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mate — a friend
  5. clip — a video
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. clip — to cut
  8. game — a match
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. current — electric
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — a partner
  15. shower — to wash
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — of water
  23. charge — electricity
  24. board — to get on

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