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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: squash · current · mine · jam · shower · racket · board · press

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. shower — to wash
  4. board — a committee
  5. press — to push
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — of water
  10. board — to get on
  11. shower — rain
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — newspapers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. press — a publisher
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mine — belonging to me

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