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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: lean · current · bank · row · jam · mug · track · date

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lean — thin
  6. mug — a face
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — of water
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — happening now
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. date — on the calendar

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