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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — for betting
  5. band — a music group
  6. row — a line
  7. band — a ring
  8. current — happening now
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chip — to eat
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — tied together
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. foot — part of the body

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