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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 · temple · drill · current · chair · net · mark · track

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — electric
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. net — after costs
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a grade
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. board — a committee
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — happening now
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — a song
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. net — in sport

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