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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: chip · fan · stand · current · swing · chair · pound · mark

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chair — a leader
  10. swing — in golf
  11. current — electric
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mark — a grade
  20. swing — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stand — on your feet

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