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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rash — hasty
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. current — of water
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — electric
  11. board — to get on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — for catching
  15. court — of a king
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. board — a committee
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — of law

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