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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 116 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 · season · current · firm · snap · mark · pitcher · club

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a path
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. club — for dancing
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. club — a group
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a trace
  13. current — happening now
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. track — to keep track
  17. club — for golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — of the year
  23. track — a song
  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