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

Word bank: hide · chair · bound · firm · current · pit · content · pop

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pop — soda
  3. current — of water
  4. bound — obliged
  5. firm — steady
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — happening now
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — happy
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pop — music
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — decided
  22. content — the amount
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pop — to visit

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