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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: sharp · track · bay · leaves · bank · deal · jam · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. current — happening now
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. current — of water
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. deal — to handle

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