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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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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 · pound · current · saw · hide · date · board · hand

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a music group
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — help
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. current — electric
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. hand — part of the body

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