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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. board — to get on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — happening now
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — of water

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