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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: bank · mug · clip · row · chip · roll · current · fan

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mug — a face
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — a list
  8. current — happening now
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — electric
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. clip — a video
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. row — a line
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chip — for betting

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