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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: cap · mouse · field · chip · wake · current · mark · jam

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — for sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a lid
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — of water
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — before a funeral

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