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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: chip · current · field · bear · coach · pass · bark · trunk

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. field — a subject
  8. bark — to shout
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. field — for sport
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. current — of water
  22. field — farmland
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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