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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. land — a country
  15. branch — a division
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — to be able to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. land — to come down

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