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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · pit · foot · current · toast · track

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. snap — to click
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. track — a path
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — a song

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