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

Word bank: ground · bound · mark · staff · chest · current · rush · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — tied together
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — decided
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your 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