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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. row — a line
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. content — happy
  12. current — electric
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — the amount
  19. board — to get on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — videos and posts

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