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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — the time now
  7. pass — a permit
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to click
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. band — a ring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  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