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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 112 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pound · land · pass · squash · pop · current

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. land — ground
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — soda
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pop — music
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — electric
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. pound — for dogs

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