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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 116 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: bound · craft · present · chip · current · bass · coach · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — in music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — obliged
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — there

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