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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: rock · can · game · sharp · current · pitch · board · spell

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — electric
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — magic
  14. sharp — clever
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — a short time
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. current — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. can — to be able to

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