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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.

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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 · content · chip · fan · tube · bank · hand · stand

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — help
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. content — happy
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. current — electric
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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