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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: mug · land · bound · chip · wave · spring · current · prune

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — ground
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. bound — certain
  18. mug — a face
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — to come down

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