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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. present — there
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — for a lock
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — a trace
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — a gift
  22. current — electric
  23. key — in music
  24. current — happening now

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