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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: swing · can · lean · current · track · stock · degree · band

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — a song
  3. swing — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — of water
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — happening now
  14. swing — to play on
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — to keep track
  21. swing — in golf
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — thin

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