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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 120 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 · board · capital · club · craft · cell · current · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. craft — a skill
  3. current — happening now
  4. bound — certain
  5. cell — in biology
  6. capital — money
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — of water
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — electric
  17. bound — obliged
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. capital — a city
  21. cell — a phone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. board — to get on

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