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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: wake · current · track · object · chip · spell · pop · net

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. current — electric
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — in sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — soda
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chip — for betting
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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