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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: current · saw · tube · pop · jam · pound · mark · present

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — to visit
  5. present — the time now
  6. pop — music
  7. current — electric
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. tube — the underground
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a trace
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. present — a gift
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tube — a container

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