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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: chip · drill · current · wound · track · cap · pop · mark

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — a grade
  4. drill — the tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — happening now
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — a practice
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — army training
  23. chip — for betting
  24. current — electric

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