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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: net · board · bass · leaves · rock · current · cold · fan

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bass — low music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — of water
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rock — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. net — after costs
  19. board — a committee
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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