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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — a company
  3. object — a thing
  4. last — final
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a path
  8. last — finally
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. track — to keep track
  15. current — of water
  16. object — to protest
  17. last — to go on
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. object — an aim
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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