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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: present · bass · current · track · tear · jam · last · calf

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — there
  3. last — to go on
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — a gift
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. current — electric
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — the time now
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. track — a song
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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