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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 120 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: current · chair · ground · wave · tear · object · track · bowl

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — of water
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. object — to protest
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — a position
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. object — an aim
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. track — to keep track
  22. current — electric
  23. track — a path
  24. tear — from crying

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