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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 120 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: chip · trunk · bat · bark · charge · current · fork · can

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — happening now
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. current — of water
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — electric
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — to shout

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