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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: saw · current · root · bank · sharp · court · track · date

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. court — for sport
  3. root — the cause
  4. track — a path
  5. court — of law
  6. root — of a word
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. track — a song
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — of a plant
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — clever
  19. date — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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