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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: perch · game · key · bulb · current · pass · mine · board

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — electric
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — of water
  11. key — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — happening now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. perch — the fish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pass — a permit
  24. board — to get on

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