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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: bank · march · current · track · face · chip · pass · fork

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. march — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. march — the month
  9. track — a song
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bank — for money
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. current — happening now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. march — the month

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