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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. pit — in a race
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. kid — child
  8. net — after costs
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pop — soda
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — in sport
  15. current — electric
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pop — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — the season
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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