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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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 — happening now
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — a gift
  8. rock — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — there
  23. march — music
  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