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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 · toast · bark · current · board · shower · pound · date

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — a committee
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — the sport
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. current — happening now
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pound — a weight
  19. toast — bread
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pound — to hit hard

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