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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 · bound · bass · lash · cue · game · mark · craft

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — of water
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — happening now
  10. bound — tied together
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cue — a hint
  14. current — electric
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — a kind of play

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