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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — the time now
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a line
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. content — happy
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. present — there
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — to paddle

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