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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. current — of water
  6. firm — steady
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. current — electric
  9. march — music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — decided
  14. toast — bread
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. shower — rain
  19. kid — child
  20. board — to get on
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. firm — a company

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