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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — a container
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. scale — in music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  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