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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · mouse · current · rash · wind · board · bulb · chair

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ball — a dance
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a committee
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. ball — a great time

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