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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: current · bore · mark · pass · capital · chip · fan · season

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. season — of the year
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. capital — a city
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. capital — money

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