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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · mouse · wave · coach · current · stick

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. current — of water
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — with your hand

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