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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.

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: jam · bass · cabinet · pound · cold · track · board · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — a song
  4. cold — not warm
  5. track — a path
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. board — a committee
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. drill — a practice
  12. board — to get on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. track — to keep track
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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