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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: stick · scale · pit · board · tube · content · current · bass

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bass — low music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — a container
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — the amount
  14. board — a committee
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — in music
  24. current — electric

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