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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — an aim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — a thing
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. current — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kick — in football
  19. last — finally
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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