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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: hide · season · track · current · present · mine · pop · firm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — there
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a path
  15. current — electric
  16. firm — steady
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. track — a song
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — for digging
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — the time now

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