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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: mark · scale · wake · spell · present · swing · board · current

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. present — the time now
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — magic
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mark — a grade
  15. scale — in music
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. board — a committee

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