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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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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: rock · ground · snap · current · fine · row · track · mark

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a line
  3. ground — a position
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a song
  12. fine — all right
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — to paddle
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rock — music
  24. ground — crushed

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