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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: object · current · staff · scale · chip · mark · lash · cap

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — a hat
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — for betting
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — a thing
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — size or range
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — an eyelash

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