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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: object · ruler · stand · shower · clip · track · current · rock

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — to keep track
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. current — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — music
  11. track — a song
  12. current — electric
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. clip — to cut
  20. object — a thing
  21. track — a path
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — rain

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