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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: bore · bulb · march · rash · current · tube · row · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — a committee
  4. march — music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — the month
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — happening now
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — a series
  22. board — to get on
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — of water

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