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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 120 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: board · stick · pound · chip · rush · current · field · game

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rush — hurry
  5. field — farmland
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — a weight
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — happening now
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. current — of water
  21. field — for sport
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — electric
  24. field — a subject

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