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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: clip · mark · roll · rash · pitch · fall · board · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitch — completely
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — to cut
  10. roll — a list
  11. clip — a video
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a committee
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fall — to drop
  23. clip — for paper
  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