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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. current — electric
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. board — to get on
  5. race — humankind
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bound — certain
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. race — a contest
  14. bound — obliged
  15. current — of water
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — happening now
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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