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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: pass · field · current · content · bank · fan · file · track

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — happy
  13. file — a line of people
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — of water
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — happening now
  23. file — a document
  24. field — for sport

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