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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: mate · prune · current · bass · board · bulb · pound · wake

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bass — the fish
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — electric
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. board — a committee
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — a trail

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