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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: bass · current · board · mine · roll · hide · pit · present

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. board — to get on
  14. roll — a cake
  15. board — a committee
  16. present — there
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — electric
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — of water
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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