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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. staff — employees
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — of water
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — electric
  7. cell — in biology
  8. degree — an amount
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. degree — temperature
  11. staff — a stick
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — soda
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lean — thin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — to get on
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — employees

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