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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: bulb · current · pitch · bat · calf · board · content · wound

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. content — happy
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — for light

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