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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a music group
  4. rest — a break
  5. current — of water
  6. board — to get on
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — the cause
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a word
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — a price
  23. can — to be able to
  24. charge — electricity

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