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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: chair · pop · jam · shower · current · plane · fall · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fall — the season
  14. current — happening now
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chair — a leader
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — rain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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