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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · board · present · net · current · stick · lie · date

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — happening now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — electric
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — after costs
  12. land — ground
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lie — to recline
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — of water
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — for catching
  22. present — there
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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