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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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Word bank
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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: track · bear · branch · current · key · lash · mug · field

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. mug — to rob
  5. field — a subject
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. field — for sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. key — the most important part
  23. current — happening now
  24. bear — the animal

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