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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.

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: racket · pass · sharp · board · bass · bear · spring · current

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — happening now
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. spring — a coil
  24. board — a flat piece

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