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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: cabinet · board · pop · squash · capital · current · bear · bass

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. bass — the fish
  3. board — to get on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — soda
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — money
  20. pop — music
  21. current — of water
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — to visit
  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