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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: current · fall · bound · mate · ball · chip · straw · deal

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bound — certain
  9. deal — to handle
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — happening now
  24. straw — dry grass

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