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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — electric
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. current — of water
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. swing — in golf
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — humankind
  16. row — a line
  17. rule — government
  18. swing — to play on
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — the fish

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