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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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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: bass · charge · root · saw · cap · current · swing · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. current — electric
  5. swing — music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — electricity
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cap — a lid
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — of water
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — a price
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. root — the cause

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