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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bass — low music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ball — a great time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — to grow
  22. board — a committee
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — for a hammer

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