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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: band · ground · toast · bore · pound · stick · tube · current

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tube — a container
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. band — a music group
  20. ground — a position
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. current — electric
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bore — gave birth

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