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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. current — electric
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. board — to get on
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. drill — army training
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — the tool
  24. board — a committee

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