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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: bay · jam · current · game · track · fine · kick · stem

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — to come from
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kick — in football
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. current — of water
  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