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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. court — for sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. court — of a king
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — of law
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — to get on

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