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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
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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 · net · leaves · sharp · perch · current · capital · date

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. capital — a city
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — to keep track
  19. capital — money
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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