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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. march — the month
  3. board — a committee
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. march — music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a hat
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — to get on

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