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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: bat · spring · bear · board · file · fine · stand · current

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — the animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bear — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. current — electric
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. current — of water

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