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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: bulb · date · wind · bound · board · present · current · pop

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. board — to get on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bound — obliged
  15. board — a committee
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. present — there
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. board — a flat piece

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