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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 116 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: season · ground · march · board · rule · current · mug · stock

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — the month
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stock — shares
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. season — in sport
  11. ground — the earth
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rule — government
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. march — the month
  18. current — of water
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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