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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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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 · squash · ruler · wind · pass · band · chip · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a music group
  3. current — happening now
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — of water
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — electric
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — for betting
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a ring
  24. squash — to crush

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