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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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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: snap · board · current · last · march · bass · content · trunk

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. last — final
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. last — finally
  6. current — of water
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bass — low music
  20. snap — to click
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. content — the amount
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — happy

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