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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: bark · pound · firm · cap · wake · current · jam · chair

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. current — of water
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. firm — steady
  8. cap — a lid
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — a company
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. firm — decided
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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