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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: toast · bat · board · shower · bound · current · jam · charge

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — happening now
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. shower — to wash
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. toast — bread
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. board — a committee
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bat — the animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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