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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: stand · bass · current · mine · pound · arm · roll · bore

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bore — to drill
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — to bear
  12. roll — a cake
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — low music
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — to tire
  19. roll — a list
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. current — happening now

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