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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cold — not warm
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — of water
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. capital — a city
  21. board — to get on
  22. cold — an illness
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — money

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