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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: board · current · deal · net · pop · arm · present · kid

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — a gift
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — soda
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — the time now
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — there
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — child
  15. net — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — music
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — to tease

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