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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: current · fork · band · saw · clip · chip · last · cap

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — electric
  4. clip — a video
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. last — final
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. band — a music group
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — for paper
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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