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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: chair · board · current · pop · kid · drill · cabinet · bank

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kid — child
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. current — of water
  6. board — to get on
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — soda
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — a committee
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pop — to visit

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