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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: chip · land · object · current · cue · cap · rash · game

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — electric
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a signal
  15. current — happening now
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. object — a thing
  19. land — ground
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — to protest
  22. game — a match
  23. land — a country
  24. cap — of ice

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