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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 120 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: racket · track · board · net · current · mate · wave · capital

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — happening now
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — in sport
  6. current — electric
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. track — a song
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — a city
  12. track — a path
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a partner
  16. capital — money
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — of water
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. track — to keep track

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