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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: band · net · chip · current · coach · board · bank · bound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chip — for betting
  3. board — a committee
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bound — tied together
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — to eat
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — to get on
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. bound — certain
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bound — obliged
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — a trainer

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