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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: pit · safe · cabinet · snap · current · rock · chip · bound

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — to eat
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. current — happening now
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — in a race
  17. current — of water
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rock — to move gently

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