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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. current — electric
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — a song
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — a line
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. tube — the underground
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — a container

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