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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: club · pound · current · fan · staff · track · degree · chip

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. current — electric
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — of water
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pound — a weight
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — happening now
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — for golf
  19. degree — from a university
  20. club — a group
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pound — to hit hard

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