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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
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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: drill · pop · present · current · straw · bass · net · board

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — after costs
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — there
  8. drill — army training
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — for catching
  18. pop — soda
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — in sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — to get on

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