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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a hole
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a music group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. game — a match
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — of water
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rash — a series
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — hasty

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