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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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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: tube · stock · plane · current · hand · board · bass · prune

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. plane — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — the fish
  10. board — to get on
  11. stock — goods
  12. bass — low music
  13. tube — a container
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — shares
  20. board — a committee
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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