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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. row — to paddle
  3. land — a country
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — of water
  12. row — a line
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — electric
  15. land — to come down
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — government
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. date — the fruit
  22. land — ground
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — to rule out

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