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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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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: current · bat · fine · bound · bass · board · game · stand

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. current — of water
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. current — electric
  11. bound — certain
  12. current — happening now
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — tied together
  17. game — a match
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — to bear
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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