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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 120 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 · rock · squash · saw · current · net · pitcher · spring

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — of water
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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