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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: mouse · lean · bound · kid · ball · fork · current · mug

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — thin
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — of water

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