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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: can · bass · stick · jam · rush · board · face · pound

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. can — a tin
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. board — to get on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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