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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: perch · stand · chest · object · bass · key · board · current

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. current — of water
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chest — a box
  5. object — to protest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. object — a thing
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — to get on
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. board — a committee
  18. key — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stand — to bear
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chest — of your body

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