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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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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: ground · board · wound · band · current · bowl · straw · bay

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. straw — dry grass
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. current — of water
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ground — crushed
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. band — a ring
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a music group
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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