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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: pound · bound · swing · jam · tube · track · current · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. 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. spring — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bound — obliged
  5. current — happening now
  6. tube — a container
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — a weight
  11. swing — in golf
  12. track — a song
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spring — the season
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. swing — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — of water
  19. track — a path
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — a coil
  24. 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