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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: bowl · chair · bound · jam · season · chest · current · mate

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chair — a leader
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. current — happening now
  7. mate — to breed
  8. current — electric
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bound — obliged
  14. season — of the year
  15. current — of water
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bound — certain
  23. season — in sport
  24. bowl — to roll

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