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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. track — a path
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. field — a subject
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. object — to protest
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. field — farmland
  15. current — electric
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — happening now
  20. track — a song
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mouse — the animal
  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