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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — of water
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — of the year
  10. bass — low music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — a series
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. season — in sport
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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