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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 · rock · current · file · mug · spring · chest · ruler

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a face
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a tool
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chest — of your body
  10. file — a document
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. chest — a box
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a cup

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