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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: capital · current · content · plane · patient · board · bass · wax

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — happy
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — of water
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. content — the amount
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — to grow
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. capital — a city
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — low music

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