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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: current · ground · bound · game · pound · squash · pass · bore

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. squash — the sport
  7. current — electric
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bound — certain
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a match
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — happening now
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — to crush
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — wild animals

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