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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — in football
  3. track — a path
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. current — of water
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. track — to keep track
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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