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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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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: bound · bulb · current · court · face · deal · track · rush

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a song
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — hurry
  6. face — to point toward
  7. court — for sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. current — electric
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — tied together
  23. track — a path
  24. bound — obliged

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