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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · date · present · current · bass · board · pop · mouse

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. board — a committee
  3. pop — soda
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. board — to get on
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. field — farmland
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. pop — to visit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. pop — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. present — the time now

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