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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: season · current · rash · track · bulb · bear · roll · snap

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. roll — a list
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — a path
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. current — electric
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. rash — a series
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — a song
  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