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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — a line
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pound — a weight
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ground — a position
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — part of the body

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