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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: bound · calf · current · root · bowl · jam · game · club

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — wild animals
  4. current — of water
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. club — a group
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — obliged
  12. club — for dancing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — of a word
  16. club — for golf
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a plant
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. root — the cause
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — happening now

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