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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: trunk · racket · track · chip · band · current · cue · snap

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cue — a signal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. current — happening now
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a path
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a hint
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. track — a song
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to click
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — to eat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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