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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: field · lean · current · chip · bat · trunk · rock · ruler

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rock — a stone
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — to eat
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to bend
  10. current — happening now
  11. chip — for betting
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. field — a subject
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — in a computer

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