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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. shower — rain
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — a committee
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. row — to paddle
  11. current — electric
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — for pool
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cue — a signal

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