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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — in sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. current — of water
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — electric
  16. wake — a trail
  17. net — after costs
  18. ball — a round shape

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