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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. clip — a video
  4. bat — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. board — to get on
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. clip — for paper
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cap — of ice
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — for pool

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