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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: bound · land · fan · fine · jam · straw · current · firm

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. firm — a company
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. current — happening now
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — ground
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fine — all right
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — electric
  20. firm — steady
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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