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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. current — electric
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a great time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — of water

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