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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: current · mouse · roll · track · mine · can · board · prune

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. current — of water
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. track — a path
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. current — electric
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mine — for digging
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. roll — a list
  19. track — a song
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — a tin

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