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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. scale — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — of water
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — size or range
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pop — soda
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pop — music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — for weighing

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