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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: trunk · track · chip · shower · hand · current · fan · ball

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. hand — in cards
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — of water
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hand — help
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. current — happening now
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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