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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: current · bound · capital · row · board · clip · cabinet · object

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. clip — for paper
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. clip — a video
  8. bound — tied together
  9. object — a thing
  10. clip — to cut
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — certain
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a line
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — to protest
  24. board — a committee

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