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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: root · snap · key · sharp · stick · current · nail · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. key — the most important part
  4. root — the cause
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. root — of a word
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to click
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a plant
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. track — a path
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. track — to keep track
  22. key — in music
  23. current — happening now
  24. sharp — exactly

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