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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: bulb · jam · game · pound · current · drill · bound · root

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — army training
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. current — electric
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — happening now
  17. root — the cause
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. current — of water
  24. game — a match

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