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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 · mate · chip · chest · cabinet · bay · court · current

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. court — of law
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — for sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — of water
  24. chip — for betting

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