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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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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: current · net · track · ground · pop · lean · mark · prune

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mark — a trace
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — electric
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. current — of water
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ground — a position
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lean — to bend
  23. track — to keep track
  24. prune — the fruit

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