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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. can — to be able to
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. file — a tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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