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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: bound · foot · current · shower · roll · straw · pound · pop

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — happening now
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. roll — a list
  6. pop — soda
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — to wash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. shower — rain

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