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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 124 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. foot — a measure
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — a trail

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