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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: chair · chip · current · wave · fork · saw · mark · tube

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — a container
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chair — a leader
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — electric
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. saw — the tool

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