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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: track · current · net · kick · spring · mark · pop · plane

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — soda
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — in sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. net — for catching

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