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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: cue · mate · press · bound · pound · club · bore · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — happening now
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bound — certain
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — to tire
  15. current — electric
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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