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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: stem · deal · hand · current · fan · stand · file · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. file — a document
  13. hand — help
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stem — to come from
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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