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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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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: wound · chip · pound · row · bound · race · current · rock

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chip — to eat
  17. race — a contest
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — happening now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — electric

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