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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — to bear
  6. current — electric
  7. track — a song
  8. current — of water
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — a break
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a partner
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mate — a friend
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rest — what's left

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