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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — to eat
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. band — a music group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a committee
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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