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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. 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. track — to keep track
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a song
  4. kick — in football
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — a path
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — for betting
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. land — ground
  14. current — electric
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — to come down
  18. 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