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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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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 · fall · racket · wake · wind · pass · cap · chip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — the season
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chip — for betting
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fall — to drop

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