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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 120 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: bear · current · content · board · coach · pound · fan · spell

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spell — letters
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — of water
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — happening now
  13. content — the amount
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — electric
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — magic
  22. content — happy
  23. board — to get on
  24. coach — a trainer

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