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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a document
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — of water
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — low music
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — a trail

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