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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · current · date · ball · scale · field · track · pop

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — electric
  14. field — a subject
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — a path
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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