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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: mouse · ball · chip · clip · track · chair · season · current

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. track — a song
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. track — a path
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. season — of the year
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — electric
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — a leader

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