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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · cabinet · current · degree · racket · pop · file

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — to visit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. degree — an amount
  7. file — a document
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — music
  13. current — happening now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — a song
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — of water
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pop — soda
  24. track — to keep track

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