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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: bank · can · trunk · chip · current · field · shower · track

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — to wash
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. field — for sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. field — farmland
  10. shower — rain
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chip — to eat
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — for betting
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — electric
  23. field — a subject
  24. current — of water

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