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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · mouse · current · rash · wind · board

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — a series
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a great time

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