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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
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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: board · press · bass · pop · current · cap · field · bound

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — happening now
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — electric
  14. press — to push
  15. pop — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — to get on
  18. bass — low music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pop — soda
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — farmland
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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