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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 120 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 · present · vault · ball · bat · spell · current · chip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — a gift
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — magic
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — letters
  20. chip — to eat
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ball — a round shape
  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