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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — of water
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — electric
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. board — to get on
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pound — a weight

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