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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: stick · bat · ground · chip · current · trunk · perch · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — electric
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bat — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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