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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — a committee
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tube — the underground
  13. current — happening now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mug — a cup
  20. game — a match
  21. current — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — a flat piece

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