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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 116 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: bowl · current · fine · wave · track · march · prune · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. march — music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — the month
  11. current — electric
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — high quality
  20. game — a match
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fine — all right

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