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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — happening now
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — ground
  7. chest — of your body
  8. land — a country
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — a committee
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — a series
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — hasty
  23. land — to come down
  24. bulb — for light

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