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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: wound · board · pass · staff · tear · chip · march · current

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. march — the month
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — happening now
  6. tear — from crying
  7. march — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. current — of water
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. board — to get on
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — electric
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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