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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: bowl · club · mate · current · jam · bark · pound · pit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — happening now
  23. pit — a hole
  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