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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: trunk · track · pop · cabinet · current · race · chip · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — a contest
  19. current — electric
  20. race — humankind
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. pop — music
  24. squash — to crush

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