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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: bat · ball · ground · chip · can · arm · current · track

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ground — the earth
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  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