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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: current · march · tube · pass · board · root · hand · bay

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — in cards
  4. root — of a word
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — a container
  8. march — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — electric
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hand — help
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — happening now
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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