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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: track · shower · pound · field · rush · sharp · suit · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. shower — rain
  3. field — for sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. suit — in cards
  8. current — of water
  9. field — farmland
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. track — to keep track
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — to fit
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. suit — clothes

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