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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. current — of water
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — soda
  8. current — electric
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — a path
  11. cap — a lid
  12. row — a line
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. object — to protest
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. current — happening now
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — to grow
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pop — music
  24. mark — a trace

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