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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 116 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: nail · fork · chip · current · rash · mine · rock · court

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — hasty
  14. current — electric
  15. mine — for digging
  16. current — happening now
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — music
  24. fork — in a road

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