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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · game · chip · current · fork · rash · ruler · pass

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — hasty
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — happening now
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — a monarch

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