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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — to keep track
  4. file — a line of people
  5. current — electric
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. track — a song
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bank — of a river
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a tool
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a document
  18. toast — bread
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — a trail
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — wild animals

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