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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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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: current · bay · clip · track · plane · bank · firm · pop

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — steady
  7. clip — a video
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — happening now
  12. bank — for money
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — electric
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. clip — for paper
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — soda

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