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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a song
  3. spring — a coil
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. mate — to breed
  9. current — happening now
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a path
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — a thing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — of water
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — an aim

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