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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — clever
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. board — to get on
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bowl — a dish

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