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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — a country
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rock — a stone
  5. board — a committee
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — for paper
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — of water
  11. firm — decided
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — size or range
  14. current — electric
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. clip — to cut
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — a video
  23. rock — music
  24. current — happening now

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