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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · chip · content · shower · chair · bowl · current · wave

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. mug — to rob
  5. current — electric
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a face
  9. content — happy
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a cup
  13. content — the amount
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — of water
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — for betting

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