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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: field · racket · roll · chip · march · bark · rush · current

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. current — happening now
  4. field — for sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — for betting
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — a subject
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — electric
  18. march — the month
  19. roll — a list
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. march — music
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — of water

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