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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — of water
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a committee
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — happening now

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