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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: chip · rash · chest · pound · fan · current · ball · board

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chest — a box
  4. rash — a series
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. board — a committee
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. current — electric
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — for betting

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