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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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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: board · arm · net · spring · ball · current · pound · chair

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. net — in sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — of water
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — the season
  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