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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: branch · pound · chip · deal · roll · current · ruler · wake

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. current — electric
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pound — a weight
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — a division
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — an agreement
  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