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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. bat — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. spell — letters
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. craft — boats
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — happening now
  24. mouse — the animal

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