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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: date · charge · bound · perch · current · stock · court · temple

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — a price
  5. court — of a king
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — in control
  8. current — of water
  9. date — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — electricity
  12. court — of law
  13. stock — goods
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. court — for sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — tied together
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bound — obliged
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — happening now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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