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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 116 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: track · land · rush · current · fork · stand · leaves · net

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. track — a path
  6. current — electric
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. land — a country
  18. track — to keep track
  19. net — after costs
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — for catching
  24. fork — to eat with

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