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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: current · march · bulb · wave · face · jam · board · date

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. current — electric
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — to confront
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. current — of water
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. march — the month
  23. current — happening now
  24. march — 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