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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 · cap · date · can · charge · current · game · suit

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — electric
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — of water
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — in control
  8. date — the fruit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cap — of ice
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — a lid
  17. suit — in cards
  18. charge — a price
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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