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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. rush — hurry
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. current — electric
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a ring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — a song
  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