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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: leaves · net · band · stick · drill · rash · board · current

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. net — after costs
  21. current — electric
  22. band — a music group
  23. net — for catching
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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