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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: stick · shower · track · bass · board · jam · pound · sharp

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. board — to get on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — a committee
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. shower — to wash
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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