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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: cabinet · bank · chair · nail · current · fan · board · present

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — for money
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. current — happening now
  11. board — a committee
  12. present — a gift
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. present — there
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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