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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: current · spring · chip · fan · mark · jam · wave · craft

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — the season
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — a trace
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. current — happening now
  12. chip — to eat
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. craft — boats

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