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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: shower · game · rock · march · current · key · row · board

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. row — a line
  4. board — a committee
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. key — in music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. march — music
  19. current — electric
  20. game — wild animals
  21. shower — rain
  22. game — a match
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. key — for a lock

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