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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: squash · cabinet · current · board · pound · bound

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bound — obliged
  3. current — happening now
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — electric

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