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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 · can · stand · track · perch · dip · mate · band

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — a path
  4. current — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. current — happening now
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a music group
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — on your feet

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