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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: bound · wound · current · game · suit · rash · perch · chip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — electric
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — happening now
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — certain
  18. chip — to eat
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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