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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — in cards
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. land — ground
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — a country
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — happening now
  12. board — to get on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — a tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. land — to come down
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. calf — a young 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