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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. court — of a king
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. season — of the year
  17. board — to get on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a document
  23. court — of law
  24. season — in sport

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