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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
468
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 · current · calf · straw · rock · mate · mine · track

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chip — to eat
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mine — for digging
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — music
  22. current — of water
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. straw — a straw man

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