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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. pass — a permit
  3. band — a ring
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — crushed
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — a path
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fine — high quality
  20. current — of water
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — a song
  23. fine — all right
  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