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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: mine · land · pass · current · roll · bear · board · last

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — to come down
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — final
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — to get on
  20. current — of water
  21. land — a country
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — for digging
  24. land — ground

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