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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 116 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
468
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: current · net · chip · charge · bass · racket · board · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — for catching
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — electricity
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — happening now
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — army training
  17. net — in sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. current — electric
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. drill — a practice

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