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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 120 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 · stock · tube · snap · object · lie · current · capital

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. object — a thing
  5. lie — to recline
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. current — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — electric
  15. capital — a city
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stock — shares
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — happening now

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