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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 116 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: field · bear · trunk · current · chip · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. field — for sport
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. field — farmland
  14. chip — to eat
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — a subject

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