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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 124 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — obliged
  7. board — a committee
  8. object — an aim
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — low music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. current — electric
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — to get on
  22. bound — tied together
  23. object — to protest
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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