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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: current · swing · charge · temple · pop · cold · mug · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pop — soda
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mug — to rob
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. pop — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. current — electric
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mug — a face
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mug — a cup
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. current — of water
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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