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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
468
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: mate · squash · current · toast · chair · bound · bowl · rule

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rule — government
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — to breed
  9. toast — bread
  10. bound — tied together
  11. current — happening now
  12. mate — a partner
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — certain
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — electric
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bowl — to roll

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