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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: rush · spring · wake · chip · court · current · cap · fan

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — of water
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — of water
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cap — a lid
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — the season

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