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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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 — of water
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. board — a committee
  5. object — a thing
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — a city
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — electric
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — an aim
  18. current — happening now
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. board — to get on
  22. object — to protest
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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