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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: current · mug · fall · chair · roll · key · bound · season

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chair — a leader
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — the season
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. current — happening now

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