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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: pop · chip · hide · wound · current · hand · ruler · bowl

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — electric
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hand — help
  15. pop — soda
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. current — of water

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