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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rock — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — the season
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. board — to get on
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — of water
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a committee
  20. current — happening now
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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