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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. board — a committee
  2. current — electric
  3. prune — to trim
  4. last — to go on
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tube — a container
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — final
  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