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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — electric
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pound — a weight
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. present — there
  15. current — happening now
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. current — of water
  24. date — the fruit

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