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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: spell · wake · chip · current · kid · pound · fan · safe

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. spell — letters
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — child
  24. safe — out of danger

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