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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: saw · track · current · ball · clip · pit · last · rock

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — a stone
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a dance
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — electric
  24. last — to go on

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