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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a match
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. march — the month
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. current — happening now
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bear — to put up with

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