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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: board · band · pound · shower · face · current · jam · drill

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — electric
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pound — a weight
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. face — to confront
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — a practice
  13. shower — rain
  14. board — a committee
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. board — to get on
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to point toward
  21. drill — army training
  22. shower — to wash
  23. face — part of the head
  24. current — of water

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