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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: row · fine · season · current · suit · toast · track · bat

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. season — in sport
  9. row — a line
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. row — to paddle
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bat — the animal
  23. toast — bread
  24. current — electric

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