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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · chair · perch · charge · stem · board · bound · kid

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — electricity
  9. board — to get on
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bound — certain
  14. charge — in control
  15. kid — to tease
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. charge — a price
  24. bound — obliged

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