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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 116 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: field · drill · bear · current · chip · clip · leaves · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. drill — the tool
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. field — farmland
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. clip — a video
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — music
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. chip — to eat
  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