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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: track · prune · jam · clip · current · fine · rock · foot

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. clip — a video
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rock — a stone
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. current — electric
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — to cut
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rock — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — a measure
  23. prune — to trim
  24. clip — for paper

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