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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: hide · wound · jam · key · pound · fork · bound · current

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — the most important part
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. key — in music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — for a lock
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pound — a weight
  18. current — happening now
  19. fork — in a road
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — for dogs

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