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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. firm — a company
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. field — farmland
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. rest — a break
  19. current — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — electric

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